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“Scared the shit out of me and my woman,” he said when he released me. “Couldn’t get ahold of you. Scarlet said you made it through but weren’tyouanymore, and that’s all we got.”
“You talked to Scarlet?” I asked as I accepted a hug from Marissa.
“Asshole,” she muttered against my chest.
“Your lady love stopped by the day after you woke up, dude,” Brian said as Marissa fell into his arms, softly crying. “Last we heard about you.”
“Who do you think you are trying to take you from us?” Marissa asked, glaring at me accusingly.
“Trying to make sure you remember how much you love me,” I said, forcing something of a tease into my voice.
“I’d punch you if you didn’t look like death warmed over,” she warned, holding her fist up to stress her words.
“Don’t doubt it, Riss.” I glanced around the mostly empty shop, then asked, “Are any of my sketchbooks here?”
“Here?” Brian asked with a hesitant laugh. “Dude, how hard did you get hit?”
“Pretty fucking bad, the way I hear it.”
He squeezed Marissa a little tighter, then said, “You don’t leave your books here. Ever.”
I nodded, having already known that. Well, at least, I’d thought I’d known that.
“Haven’t been able to find them, thought I’d ask,” I muttered, then took another sweep around the shop.
Seeing things that were so damn real.
Seeing the place where I’d done Harper’s tattoo. Where I’d led her to the mirror to show her the piece once I’d finished. Where she’d kissed me.
The place at my station that had becomehers. Where she’d sit and talk to me for a few minutes on her way from one place to another.
The place she’d been talking to—
“Does a girl named Trish work here?” I asked softly, afraid to say her name too loud.
Both Brian and Marissa just stared at me, eyebrows lifted in question and confusion.
Marissa was the first to make a sound, but it was just a hesitant noise as she looked at Brian as if she wasn’t sure what to do with these questions I was asking.
“Never had a Trish work here,” Brian finally answered. “Only chick that ever worked here other than my lady was gone before you started with us.”
“Got it,” I murmured, then said, “Riss, I love you, but I need to talk to Brian.”
She straightened and folded her arms across her chest, staring me down in that way she always had. Reprimanding with just a look. “Literally every single thing you say to him will be repeated to me when we get home.”
“I got that, but I need this to be just the two of us for now.”
She glared for a second longer before rolling her eyes and stomping off like a child, calling out as she did, “If you leave without saying goodbye to me, I will find you and make Brian hold you down while I pierce your nose.”
“Think we should just do it,” Brian said with a wicked grin.
“Shut up, Bri.” I rolled my eyes, then nodded in the direction of my station.
“Damn good to see you, Chach,” he said solemnly. “We’ve been a mess, worrying about you.”
“That’s my fault,” I said as I sank into my chair, a grimace crossing my face at the pains that had been flaring since I’d lifted Scarlet onto the island.
Still worth it.
